Welcome
back... and enjoy the latest
news and anime reviews this Holiday Season!

The Anime Talk Introduction

It’s
time for
another installment of DVDTalk.com’s Anime Talk column! We have
compiled an excellent
group of reviews to share with our readers this month. We compiled more
reviews
in an effort to bring you a sampling of the best new anime releases
around. This month we bring to you the latest tidings of anime goodness
on the horizon, our list of the best anime releases of 2012, an
interesting sampling of the latest and best reviewed anime titles, and
a post-holiday shopping guide to cure any post-holiday gift blues for
those presents you really wanted but somehow didn't manage to receive.
So sad.

As
reviewers,
we often find ourselves watching loads of anime to find the special
series
worth remembering. We watch both awful and awesome anime series to find
you the
series that are actually worth our readership’s time, investment, and
hard earned
moolah. In other words, remember to look to our column as an indication
of the
best titles available on the anime marketplace. You can find
information here
about the best titles newly released in home incarnations on DVD and
Blu-ray.

The
DVDTalk.com Anime Talk column is a bi-monthly offering
with information on some of the latest anime releases.There
have
been a number of notable new releases over the past two months. Please
check
reviews in the section indicated below to find a sampling of the best
discs
arriving in our reviewing quarters (not that we actually all sit
together in
the same office, divided into a fraction while watching anime 24/7).
Have fun, readers!

WTK's December 2012 TidbitsPresented by
Wen-Tsai King

Leading off toward 2013, FUNimation
Entertainment will be releasing a pair of new licenses that may
be of interest for horror and shonen fans. BLOOD-C (TV) from
Prudction I.G and CLAMP will be released on Blu-ray / DVD combo pack.
The first set of Toriko
will be released on DVD. The series is still ongoing and simulcasted on
FUNimation.com.

Viz Media has also made a wonderful new annoucement for the release of InuYasha The Movie: The Complete Collection,
will will contain all four InuYasha films in a two-disc Blu-ray set to
be released in March next year. It's already available for pre-order!

WTK's Shopping GuidePresented by
Wen-Tsai King

Didn't receive every gift you were
hoping for this Holiday season? Here is a guide of releases to
gift to yourself in the post-holiday season... if you haven't received
these wonderful and overlooked anime gems of 2012!

● anohana: The
Flower We Saw That Day | Review
| A group of childhood friends become estranged due to a tragic
accident. How would they confront the events of the past, present, and
the future? This moving and surprisingly touching series is simply one
of the best anime that NIS America has to offer.

● Infinite Stratos
| Review
| If you are looking for a harem series released in 2012, this Sentai
Filmworks series could definitely fit the bill. While the layout of the
series feel episodic, the element of weaponized combat sport and action
fighting scenes make it even more entertaining. And the nice addition
to this release is the inclusion of a bonus music CD.

● Panda! Go, Panda! | Review
| Studio Ghibli fans, this is one movie release that you would want to
check out. It's a family movie involving a young girl and her panda
family. It's also one of the earlier works from Isao Takahata and Hayao
Miyazaki. It's a definitely a recommended release for the younger
children.

● Redline | A racing
tournment based movie, can it work? I think it can. While the story may
not feel that deep, the animation style and design/environment is
fantastic especially on high-definition. This is just a highly
entertaining movie that can capture your attention. It's definitely
worth checking out.

DVDTalk.com
Presents: The Best Anime Releases of 2012

As
Selected by Neil Lumbard

1) Tenchi Muyo OVA & Tenchi Muyo
Theatrical Films (Blu-ray)

This
is the best anime release of the entire year. Yes, that statement is
for both the OVA and theatrical film releases. Tenchi is one of the
staples of
anime and these newly released box-sets containing the entire OVA and
theatrical films from our favorite harem-comedy series is one of the
best
values and highest quality Blu-ray presentations of the entire year.It’s sure to delight anyone who considers
themselves a massive fan of the Tenchi saga.

2)
Castle in the Sky/Whisper of the Heart/ The Secret World of
Arrietty/Grave
of the Fireflies (Blu-ray)

We
couldn’t pick just one of these excellent Studio Ghibli Blu-ray
releases. All four of these feature films (Castle in the Sky, Whisper
of the
Heart, The Secret World of Arrietty, and Grave of the Fireflies) are
all
essential cinematic experiments and classics in anime. These are four
of the greatest
anime films of all time and each release is worth adding to any anime
fan’s
collection.

3) Kimi ni Todoke V.1-V.3 Premium Editions
(Blu-ray)

Kimi
ni Todoke is the most romantic, sweepingly beautiful, and heartfelt
anime series released in the past year and these three excellent
premium edition
releases by NIS America offer a tremendously satisfying presentation
for one of
the best anime series we’ve ever seen.

4) One Piece Collections & Voyage Sets
(DVD)

One
Piece is one of our favorite anime series and it’s one that we call
always count on for some great comedy, action, and adventure on the
high seas
(and beyond). We were thrilled to find the rerelease “collection” sets
become
available for One Piece fans and we are excited by the continuation of
the Voyage
sets. We enjoy the journey so much and are sure that anime fans will
either
want to jump onboard the series (at last!) or continue this wonderful
saga.

5) Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood (Blu-ray)

This is easily one of the most
ambitious anime series produced in the
past few years and anyone who hasn’t seen the series yet and considers
themselves an anime fan will at least want to give it a chance, because
there’s
a good possibility that it could wind up a series favorite. The Blu-ray
collections from Funimation offer a tremendous value to fans.

6) K-On: Season 2 (Blu-ray)

K-On
is one of the most charming, entertaining, and “fun” series we
reviewed in 2012. Combine that with the beautiful video/audio on the
Sentai
Filmworks Blu-ray releases and we had one of our top favorites of the
year
overall.

7) Bunny Drop Premium Edition (Blu-ray)

Bunny Drop is one of those rare
anime series that is near-perfection from
beginning to end. It beautifully combines heartfelt storytelling with
strong
characterization and some of the best animation around. The NIS America
set is
a gorgeous release that will delight all series fans.

8) Fairy Tail Part 4 (Blu-ray)

Fairy
Tail is one of our favorite new(ish) series and we were sad to
reach the end of the fourth part released by Funimation. We are
anticipating
future set releases and hope that the dub continues production. This
series has
a fun dub: it’s a great series and a high quality presentation overall.

9) Panda Go Panda (DVD)

One of the early pre-Ghibli
creations that is often overlooked but that
is just as brilliant as any future creations from Miyazaki and
Takahata. These
short two-episode specials are a clear precursor to the creation of My
Neighbor
Totoro and it is a classic tale that will delight anime viewers of all
ages.
The rerelease brings the classic back into print for future generations
to
enjoy time and time again.

10) Digimon Season 1 (DVD)

One of
the best anime series produced for children in the late 90’s and
early 2000’s, Digimon was an entertaining, exciting, and complex series
with
greater storytelling than most children’s fare. This is easily one of
the best
releases of the year. Fans have anticipated a release for years and
it’s nice
to finally have an official product available now. This set is
wonderful for
fans.

Looking for a sampling of some of the best recent anime releases? Look
no further. The DVD Talk writing team has put together a list of some
of our favorite titles to recently be released on DVD and/or Blu-ray.
Take a look below.(Note: Click on a link for a
full review to read.)

This
is an unexpectedly good series. The first episode felt like it
was being
strange for the sake of being strange, but after that the story quickly
got
rolling and sucked me in. Before I knew it, I had to get up and
change
discs, then the next thing I knew the first half was over, leaving me
(at least
metaphorically) on my knees, fists raised to sky, screaming that life
was
unfair. I can't wait until the second set is released.
Check this
one out.

Sporadic
in its pacing, mildly generic (by anime standards) in its execution,
and too
drawn out for its own good, Shakugan no Shana is definitely a
show with
some flaws. It is, however, a series with great characters that evolve
and
develop and the story is good enough to carry it along for 24 episodes
(and
them some as evident by future series and other projects).

A
slow paced but enjoyable show, Spice and Wolf is a unique anime series
where
making a profit by trading from town to town takes the center stage
over fights
and action. If you're willing to give it the time to unravel at
its own
pace, you'll find a nice show.

Hellsing
Ultimate is unquestionably the faithful manga translation we've all
hoped
for. The original Hellsing series was a lot of fun, but these
OVA's
overshadow it in every perceivable way. Sure, there's an excessive
amount of
gratuitously violent fan service, but the improved plot, character
backgrounds
and atmosphere finally add some layering and depth to the mix, so Ultimate
is likely to appeal to a wide variety of anime fans.

Anime
fans looking to watch a series now considered a "classic" of the
art-form will be pleased to know that the series contains many
interesting
genre elements, while the longtime, devoted fandom for Nadesico will
be
thrilled to own the series and feature film in this DVD collection
containing both
with gloriously remasteredprints and a generous selection of
supplements. It might be worth renting firstfor newcomers to
the show,
but if you can enjoy a few episodes, there's a good chance you'll want
this set
in your anime collection. This is a stellar Nozomi Entertainment
re-release of
a popular and much loved anime creation.

This
show is a hard one to rate. It is very good for what it is: a clam,
slice-of-life show that takes place in a girl's school. The only
problem is
that I didn't care for shoujo-ai too much. Taking that into account, I
did
enjoy many of the episodes in this set, while I would occasionally roll
my eyes
at some contrived plot devices. In any case I can't say that this
gentle
character driven story isn't worth checking out, so I'll recommend it,
especially to fans of shoujo-ai programs. They shouldn't miss this one.

Tenchi
Universe is one of the best series to exist out of the Tenchi
saga and it is one of the most essential anime productions ever made.
The
artwork isn't truly on par with the earlier OVAs but the writing,
comedy, and characters
are some of the absolute best you will ever find in the genre. If you
love
character-based and original stories this is one show that manages to
interweave both aspects, even despite the fact that it is an
alternate-universe
telling of the original Tenchi OVA's storyline. Simply put, Tenchi
Universe
is outta this world, and a genuine must own DVD release (in one form or
another) by all serious anime connoisseurs.

Tenchi in Tokyo
might not be the
most respected Tenchi
outing, but it has more than
enough creativity and originality to keep viewers interested in seeing
where
the story will go. It also ended on a decidedly high note that wrapped
up the
series in a way that was intriguing and satisfactory. I enjoyed the
show and
would recommend it any Tenchi fan as a fun anime diversion. Just
don’t
expect to find a series that is on par with the original or Universe.

After
the first couple of episodes, I feared that Boogiepop Phantom
would have
been a full pasta bowl of loose ends. Fortunately, the series is all
business -
the violence isn't gratuitous, and absolutely zero time is wasted on
racy skin
or undergarment shots - and things are tied up nicely after all is said
and
done. It's hard to describe exactly what Boogiepop Phantom is,
but
whatever it is, it's good. It's a dark and atmospheric
nightmare that
rivals the palpable uneasiness in earlier seasons of The X-Files,
and
it's an experience that drops its puzzle pieces at such a magnificent
pace,
that you won't be able to see the full picture until the final episode
has
concluded, and that's a large part of what makes this series so
hauntingly
captivating. If you're looking for some anime with substance, something
that
will play with your mind and present many dark, but not entirely
unrealistic
thematic ideas, then Boogiepop Phantom is exactly what you've
been
waiting for (not that the series is new or anything). The series alone
is worth
a high recommendation, but a lackluster A/V presentation and
unimaginative
extras keep a good release from being a great one.

One
Piece is one of the grandest anime adventures. This series manages
to stay
around as a fun ride with great characters and it does so with epic
story-arcs
and amusing side-stories. This set contains a sampling of both elements
with
the conclusion of the Skypiea arc and the beginning (and most of) the
G-8 side
storyline. I loved these episodes, and consider myself to be a huge
fan.

The
only downside to this release is that the set represents the last
collection
from Funimation for the time being. We are likely over a year away from
seeing
any more collection sets because the Voyage sets are still being
released and
it takes time for the series to be dubbed in English. Still, the wait
will be
worth it if you have been collecting One Piece Collection sets.
These
collection releases represent some of the best value for your money in
the
entire anime on DVD market.

Newcomers
should start at the beginning, but for those of you who are already
collecting
these One Piece sets, you can now enjoy another must-have DVD
release of
one of the best anime series around.

K-ON!
is an awesome, rock-tastic series. If you enjoy rock music,
friendship, and
good humor it will be a series that appeals to you and your brand of
enjoyable
coolness.While K-ON! is aimed more at girls than boys
it is a
series that should appeal to both genders and a wide variety of ages
too. Tales
of friendship are timeless, and K-ON! is one of the more
exciting ones
to come out the past few years.

<>This
set contains the second half of season two (episodes 14 through 27) and
fans
will be thrilled with the top-quality nature of these episodes. I was
immensely
pleased, but saddened that this was the last batch of K-ON!
episodes
ever. It's a Blu-ray set that shouldn't be missed by fans. K-ON! will
remain as a true gem of a show that is worth purchasing and cherishing
by
devoted anime lovers everywhere.

As an infrequent follower of anime, I can't say with authority that C:
Control is a purely original series; perhaps it's just a notch
above
average, compared to all the wacky stuff I've missed in recent years.
Either
way, the ambitious visuals and interesting stories overshadow some of
its more
clichéd elements, so those looking for a swift kick in the
occipital lobe
should enjoy what C: Control brings to the table. FUNimation's
Blu-Ray/DVD combo pack is decent but expensive, pairing a great A/V
presentation
with only a handful of modest bonus features. A rental might be in
order for
the budget-conscious, but its perceived replay value makes C:
Control a
worthy investment for anime fans.

Serial
Experiments Lain is one of the weirdest anime series of all time.
It sounds
a lot like a big hyperbole to begin with that kind of statement, but I
don't
consider it one. This is genuinely an incredibly odd and offbeat series
with a
twisty sci-fi narrative that questions the path of human existence, the
role of
technology in society, and many philosophical questions about people in
general. This isn't a cookie-cutter anime series or even a massively
plot-driven one. It's a big, weird, and fascinating experience in
thought-provoking anime. It inspired the creation of The Matrix. It
redefined the way many anime fans thought about the genre as a whole.

As
long as you can call yourself a fan of the show, the Blu-ray set is
absolutely
one worthy of a place in your collection. The transfers aren't perfect
- but a
huge part of that is because of the way this series was originally made
in the
first place. I wouldn't expect a better release of the series to ever
be
released. Essentially, this is a definitive collection. The PQ has a
few minor
issues, but the presentation of the packaging and all of the notable
inclusions
here (along with transfers that are still significantly better than the
prior
DVD editions) is something to consider when deciding on a purchase.
Personally,
I still find the series a bit more convoluted than most and wouldn't
necessarily consider it a "must own" show. However, I know that
any fan that is serious about owning Serial Experiments Lain
will want
to have it on Blu-ray in this jazzy, fun, and well-made edition.

Natsume's
Book of Friends is an entertaining series that is worth checking
out for
anime fans, and this premium edition DVD release from NIS America is a
real
winner despite the lack of many on-disc extras. The quality of the
presentation
is good and the packaging is amazing. It definitely is a release that
deserves
consideration. For fans of the anime, this will be an easy
purchase. The set is well worth owning.